Atlanta, GA (October 28th, 2016) - The latest release from The Yonrico Scott Band, "Life of a Dreamer", displays Mr. Scott's solid jazz fundamentals and solid groove that his fans have come to expect. From jazz to power soul to funk and rock, this album manages to fuse genres effortlessly all while delivering a foundation that forces foot-tapping engagement from listeners. Mr. Scott even ventures into the jam-band arena as he invites in the legendary Col. Bruce Hampton and Reverend Jeff Mosier for an exercise in head bobbing. Yonrico Scott is an American Grammy Award-winning drummer and percussionist. He was a longtime member of The Derek Trucks Band and is currently the drummer for recent sensation Royal Southern Brotherhood featuring Cyril Neville. In 2010, Scott accepted the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for The Derek Trucks Band for their 2009 album, "Already Free". Mr. Scott has played with industry big-names such as Stevie Wonder, Warren Haynes, Whitney Houston, Peabo Bryson, John Denver, and The Allman Brothers to name a few. With the Derek Trucks Band, he served as percussionist and contributing songwriter for 16 years.
"Life Of A Dreamer" opens with an instant funk rock classic "Don't Give Me". This dynamic mover harkens back to Mr. Scott's days with The Derek Trucks Band with its forceful groove and old soul vocals. "How much is too much", he sings just before the momentum evolves into riff- trading among the keys and guitar. "Don't give me one more chance", he bellows before the big finish of horns and powerful percussion...but the listener must listen on.
"Don't Give Me" leads directly into the title track, "Life Of A Dreamer (Suite For Marimba)". It opens with Mr. Scott stretching out by putting his melodic skills on display with a fantastic marimba intro. His dynamics are genius and create a hauntingly beautiful echo that sets up the approaching horns masterfully. This is definitive Yonrico Scott...a solid jazz number with a strong rock back beat. He shows that he is a master of melody in this big, expansive number that shows his percussion skills in definitive fashion. The number winds down with Yonrico returning to the marimba as he and bass master Joseph Patrick Moore slowly bring in the guitar and horns for the grand finale
Mr. Scott shares compositional credit on several tracks, of note is "Corner Of The World". Producer, writer and bass man Joseph Patrick Moore contributes this composition as he smoothes things out with this jazz number. The juxtaposition of Scott's patented percussion with the interplay between bass and guitar is breathtaking. Kofi Burbridge's organ work on this number rounds things out and delivers this soulful piece with style.
From the opening track to the "bonus" track, "Life Of A Dreamer" does conjure up a dreamy potion that contrasts tension with tranquility and delivers a memorable collection throughout. The seductive groove and melodic composition demands replay and is destined to be known as Yonrico Scott's most powerful release to date. Give this a listen...you'll be seduced into by the "Life Of A Dreamer".
Atlanta, GA (June 6th, 2016) - On June 24th, 2016 Blue Canoe Records will release “Decade II 2006-2015” from baseman and producer, Joseph Patrick Moore. Mr. Moore looks back over the past decade and remixes the hits for a fresh new perspective. His work fuses elements of contemporary jazz, for which Mr. Moore is famous, with funk, rock, pop, urban, spiritual and even electronica for a compilation that keeps listeners on their toes.
Joseph Patrick Moore is a prolific jazz, pop and rock musician as well as producer, session musician, film composer and author. He has worked with artists such as Stewart Copeland (The Police), Earl Klugh, Bob James, Chris Duarte, Celtic Women Lisa Kelly and Chloe Agnew to name a few. “Decade II” is fresh on the heels of “XYZ Factor” and “To Africa With Love” where Mr. Moore coupled its release with a mission trip to Africa. There he was involved personally on the front line of support for the amazing and lost continent. JPM gives a taste of all…work from soundtracks (Path To Geshe), solo work (XYZ Factor and To Africa With Love), group projects (The RockTronix) and projects with friends (Christmas Time Is Here with Dan Baraszu and work with Soulful genius Chinua Hawk). “Decade II” opens with the expansive “Ubuntu” originally on “To Africa With Love” (2010). Mr Moore leads with a looped bass formation and drives a powerful line over the top. Joined by supportive guitar and keyboards, the melody tells a beautiful story of hope Moore saw during his time spend in Africa. The anthem finally gives way to a subtle electronic feel in the melody as it fades to the next track. “Quest” is a song that JPM wrote for Yonrico Scott’s solo album, “Quest Of The Big Drum”, featuring Scott (Grammy winning drummer with The Derek Trucks Band and Royal Southern Brotherhood) and Nick Rosen. The listener enters the song on a light bed of keyboards with chaotic bass playing over the top. The chaos gradually finds peace with a deep, impassioned funk rock groove with a tantalizing melody from Rosen’s keyboard. Quest indeed! “Magnificent Obsession” is a rock number from Mr. Moore’s band The RockTronix that is saturated with mischievous interplay between Chris Blackwell’s guitar and Mr. Moore’s sparse fretless bass line. The testimony builds throughout, graduating from funky, colorful guitar textures to full on rock guitar and back again. “Magnificent Obsession” shows again not only the versatility of Mr. Moore but also the capability of his accomplices. “Decade II 2006-2015” is a comprehensive look at the last ten years from a true music talent of our day. Joseph Patrick Moore manages to fuse current and classic and he makes it look easy. Truly, the listener is left impatient…what will the next “Decade” bring?
“Touch Of Blue”, the fifth album from epic guitar man Bill Hart. This bold, current effort fuses rock and bits of blues and jam-band to form a unique blend of Satriani-like soul. Bill Hart was born and raised in Ontario, Canada and began playing guitar at the young age of nine years old. Influenced by the diverse guitar style of Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, and Jimmy Page, he came up playing non-traditional places like theaters where he performed “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and “Little Shop of Horrors”. Mr Hart has studied under master guitarists such as Mike Stern, Wayne Krantz and Scott Henderson and has been the head of the guitar department at the Atlanta Institute of Music & Media for over 25 years. He has opened for jazz greats Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Lou Rawls, Yellow Jackets, Acoustic Alchemy, Joey Defrancesco, Norman Brown, Rippingtons and Mike Stern among others. Touring all over Latin America, Mr. Hart was awarded a letter from the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela for his contribution to the students in South America. “Touch Of Blue” opens with a haunting guitar melody that is answered by Pat Strawser’s chiming piano calls. Soon, Mr. Hart and Enrico Galetta’s singing bass are engaged in a back and forth conversation and “Deep Skies” is off to the races. Set on the frame of Jaungui Aguayo’s driving rock back-beat, “Deep Skies” is a five minute onslaught of non-stop energy. “That’s Purdy” is a sassy number melting the established rock beat with pure funk overtones. Jazzy piano interjections, a funky rhythmic feel and Mr. Hart’s patented rock guitar are the perfect follow up to “Deep Skies”. The middle of the song opens up and the keyboard takes a solo that matches Hart’s intensity and the melody soars as piano and guitar trade reflective musings. “Touch of Blue” is an intelligent, no nonsense adventure that cuts to the quick and gives a modern perspective on rock fusion. Bill Hart releases the hounds and the listener is guaranteed a wild ride through a kaleidoscope of sound, texture and pulse. Take a ride with Bill Hart’s “Touch Of Blue” today...this one is not to be missed. Blue Canoe Records has released “Look Beyond The Rain” from veteran piano man Bob Thompson and The Bob Thompson Band. Mr. Thompson brings the optimism in a funky way with the help of legendary producer and long-time friend, Buzz Amato (Curtis Mayfield, Ben E. King, Kriss Kross). Referring to the theme of the album, Thompson asserts, “It is going to rain sometime on your life but you have to look beyond that. This music spreads love and makes people feel good.” Bob Thompson is a performer, band leader, and educator and is a staple in the music of West Virginia. A native of New York, Mr. Thompson came to West Virginia to study trumpet at West Virginia State University. In 1991, Bob joined the West Virginia Public Broadcasting's ground breaking "Mountain Stage", as house pianist and featured artist. He is also co-producer of Joy To The World, a Holiday Jazz Show broadcast on public radio nationwide (since 1992), heard internationally on Voice Of America and was just inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame in 2015. He has played all over the world with diverse artists including Bunky Green, Larry Coryell and recorded with Omar Hakim, Gerald Veasley and Kevin Eubanks. “Look Beyond The Rain” opens with “Time 2 B One” and reveals Bob Thompson dancing along an exhilarating melody. After a few bars John Inghram (bass) and Tim Courts (drums) lay down a solid funk groove cued by the piano’s opening. The opening track unfolds into a floating solo by Doug Payne (sax), a driving solo from Ryan Kennedy (guitar) and again from Mr. Thompson with a supporting solo that brings them all together. The exchange between them resolves by the end in a dreamy fade that leaves the listener wanting more. Possibly the most notable on the compilation is “The Swamp Stomp”. This time the listener is guided through the groove by a joyous and melodic theme on the saxophone. Again the rhythm section throws down a solid, funky groove and the listener is treated to delightful lick-swapping by some of the most talented musicians that the Eastern United States has to offer. The juxtaposition of the funk groove, wafting sax, beautifully linear fender rhodes and driving rock guitar really exposes the influences of this diverse group of individuals and melds into a solid singular voice. “Look Beyond The Rain” is a joyful experience, no doubt about it. These incredibly talented musicians have a way of delivering accessible melody, touching the heart of the listener and not overcomplicating things. Like any great artists, they make it look easy. “Look Beyond The Rain” is a must-listen for fans of jazz, rock, blues and funk. These songs will stir emotion and leave the listener...optimistic. Spotify Playlists from Blue Canoe Records. Adding and updating frequently: https://open.spotify.com/user/bluecanoerecords
Blue Canoe Records latest release from Trey Wright is a ripping set of originals that moves from solid, classic jazz to sweet, sympathetic ballads with ease. The compositions on Songs From Oak Avenue deserve notice as does the playing of this group of veterans.
Songs from Oak Avenue is Mr. Wright’s second solo release on Blue Canoe Records and his follow-up to Thinking Out Loud (2009). This release is comprised of brilliant melodies and creative interaction with the sparse instrumentation. Each player, including Atlanta-based Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Mace Hibbard and expert rhythm section Marc Miller (bass) and Marlon Patton (drums/engineer), is given ample space to express ideas freely and dynamically…and all do so with mindful abandon. Mr. Wright is a jazz guitarist, composer and recording artist based in Roswell, GA. He is the co-founder of the Athens/Atlanta based jam band Squat. The group is a six-time winner of Best Jazz Band at the Flagpole Athens Music Awards and has been a featured artist at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, Bel Chere, The Twilight Athens Jazz Festival, The Cherry Blossom Festival, Harvest Midtown and Athfest. Several of Mr. Wright’s compositions with the group have received international airplay and have been featured on Sirius/XM radio and NPR’s All Things Considered.
Mr. Wright also performs freelance in the Athens and Atlanta area and has performed with Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets), John Patitucci, Joe Lovano, Corey Christiansen and Darmon Meader of the New York Voices. He has performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Jazz A Vienne and the World Sacred Music Festival in Bangalore, India. As a solo guitarist and with his trio, Mr. Wright has been a featured performer at the Athens Music and Arts Festival, The Lake Oconee Jazz Festival and the Atlanta Jazz Festival. Additionally, Mr. Wright is the guitar instructor at Kennesaw State University based in Kennesaw, GA.
Songs From Oak Avenue opens powerfully with “Boomerang”. Sam Skelton’s lush, industrious saxophone swings against Marc Miller’s walking bass pulse while Wright injects color in support of the melody. As the track unfolds, Mr. Skelton’s easily accessible melody expands to more challenging improvisational licks until finally giving way to a soaring electric solo from Trey Wright. The track ends in back and forth between the two that alternates between conversational style and a doubling of melody that ends the track as a warm invitation for the rest of Songs From Oak Avenue. “Joni” is another distinguished track that highlights the talents of Trey Wright. “It is named and inspired by Joni Mitchell”, says Wright. “I have always been fascinated with her music…I was trying to emulate the floating feel and stream of consciousness approach of her music.” It opens with a subdued melody and tastefully chosen introduction to the inspirational talents of Grammy winner Mace Hibbard on the sax. The middle of this more contemporary tune this talented group is firing on all cylinders with all fully engaged and pushing each other forward against a rhythm section that delivers with forceful musicality. Songs From Oak Avenue is a thoughtful, distinct offering put together by a group of veteran players that bring the right vibe at the right time. It is tastefully improvised and spacious while simultaneously thick and substantive. Trey Wright and his team are a group to be watched and Songs From Oak Avenue is an album to be heard…again and again. |
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